1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio signal saving operation controlling method, a program thereof, a record medium thereof, an audio signal reproducing operation controlling method, a program thereof, a record medium thereof, an audio signal reproducing operation controlling method, a program thereof, a record medium thereof, an audio signal inputting operation controlling method, a program thereof, and a record medium thereof that cause a computer to simultaneously input and output an audio signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lecture system shown in FIG. 1 is known. Referring to FIG. 1, in the lecture system, a teacher PC (Personal Computer) 101 and student PCs 1031, 1032, . . . and 103n (they are generally referred to as student PC 103) are connected through a network 111 so as to share materials thereamong and exchange questions as files thereamong.
Such a system has four audio signal communication function modes that are ALLCALL mode, INCOME mode, MONITOR mode, and MODEL mode. In the ALLCALL mode, the teacher speaks to all the students or causes them to listen to an audio signal of a CD or a file in a predetermined format. In the INCOME mode, the teacher speaks to only his or her designated student. In the MONITOR mode, while each student listens to an example pronunciation sound, he or she practices corresponding thereto and records his or her pronunciation sound (DRILL mode) and the teacher monitors the recorded sound of each student. In the MODEL mode, the teacher causes all the students to listen to a pronunciation sound of his or her designated student or an audio signal of a CD or a file in the predetermined format.
In the system shown in FIG. 1, an analog line is used as the network 111 for the audio signal communication functions. As analog systems have been changed to digital systems, the ALLCALL mode, the INCOME mode, and the MODEL mode have been accomplished as digital systems. Although the DRILL mode of which each student practices corresponding to an example pronunciation sound and records his or her pronunciation sound has been accomplished as a digital system, the MONITOR mode of which the teacher monitors the recorded sound of each student has not been accomplished as a digital system.
This is because although a sound card that a PC requires to record and reproduce an audio signal cannot be simultaneously used by two or more APs (Application Programs as software), an AP that records an audio signal and an AP that sends an audio signal through the network have been separately developed.
In reality, as shown in FIG. 2, in the DRILL mode, while each student is listening to an example pronunciation sound recorded in a HDD 124, his or her pronunciation sound is recorded to the HDD 124. At that point, a terminal 123b of a switch 123 is selected in a connecting module 122. When the DRILL mode is switched to the MONITOR mode, since the terminal 123b of the switch 123 has been selected, it is necessary to select the terminal 123a to send the pronunciation sound to the teacher PC 101. In other words, the saving operation for the pronunciation sound of the student should be stopped. In such a manner, the AP is designed.
In addition, it is impossible to simultaneously receive an audio signal from the network 111 and reproduce the audio signal from the HDD 124 while saving it thereto. Alternatively, it is impossible to simultaneously send an audio signal to the network 111 while reproducing the audio signal.
Likewise, when an audio signal is steam-distributed on the network, since an audio signal to be reproduced is not present in a local PC, it is impossible to record the audio signal while it is being reproduced.
As an OS (Operating System) that operates a PC, Microsoft Windows Operating System (registered trademark) distributed by Microsoft Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Windows) has been widely used. In a PC to which Windows has been installed, an inputting device of a sound card is selected by a volume controller of Windows or a dedicated mixer.
As information with which the AP side controls a mixer device, a component type has been defined on the AP side. However, since the component type of the mixer device depends on each manufacturer, there is a possibility of which the AP side cannot control a desired device.
In reality, when a signal of which all outputs of inputting devices are mixed is obtained (the resultant signal is referred to as MIX signal), with the structure of a mixer device 134 shown in FIG. 3, the MIX signal can be obtained by turning on all switches 135, 136, and 137. In contrast, with the structure of a mixer device 144 shown in FIG. 4, since the component type of the MIX terminal from which the MIX signal is obtained is uncertain, the MIX signal cannot be obtained.